Kaye Umansky Author Spotlight

Kaye Umansky is best known as the creator of Pongwiffy. Kaye's stories about "the witch of dirty habits" are laced with irreverent humour and are great to read aloud.

 

Kaye was born in Dorset on the 6th of December 1946 and has worked as a Music & Drama Teacher, Singer and an Actress. She lives in Crouch End, North London.

 

Humour and music play a big part in Kaye Umansky's life and work. Her favourite books when she was a child were Peter Pan, Ballet Shoes, Wind in the Willows and the Just William Stories.

Pongwiffy

A story about Pongwiffy, the smelliest, ugliest witch ever. Living in a stinking, damp cave, with Hugo the fearless hamster from Amsterdam, she causes havoc amongst the witches of Witchway Wood.

Witch Pongwiffy has a lot on her mind. Her broom is behaving strangely and the goblins are up to their usual tricks. Will the witches have the biggest bonfire this year? And what is that strange genie?

Shirley's hair is curly, Mike has spikes and Dave has waves! But everyone's forgotten what Jim looks like because he's hidden behind an enormous fringe. He's not too keen on the idea of cutting off his gorgeous locks but when he's in the barber's chair, a simple snip and Jim is trimmed!

Part of a series of BBC TV and radio plays selected and prepared for Key Stage 3. Each book includes a range of support material with activities and ideas.

Prince Dandypants is constantly admiring himself in the mirror. When the Masked Avenger causes trouble though, he is thrown out of his palace and told to find a bride. But nasty things can happen to princes in forests, running into unfriendly giants, killer bees and green things in swamps.

Wilma's mother and sisters are successful wicked queens (one sister married Snow White's dad, another is the Snow Queen from Andersen). Wilma, however, is a total disaster. She leaves home to find her own castle and devote herself to being wicked.